Response from NJ-NY TA and my return response

04/30/2010

I woke up early and decided to write back to the NJ-NY port authority.

Before I get into that... I got a much needed hair cut yesterday. I bought my cousin a necklace that has a heart and on the face of the heart is a Jewish star. It's cute. She'll love it. My family went out for dinner. (my bitchy sister skipping out after the salads because a football practice is more important to her than having dinner with the family on our father's birthday) We went to this up skale stake restaurant. The food was just ok and for the money, ug, I would never go back but everyone else enjoyed.

I am so looking forward to this weekend.
I have no idea what we are going to do Saturday but either way, it will be a relaxing minny vacation away from my family and work and looking for jobs and looking for a date and ... everything!
HELLO! NEW JERSEY!
*Did you know the first official baseball game was played in Hoboken New Jersey in 1845?

(I have sent my response along with the innicial email to the mayor of NYC and also to the ADA people who handle public transportation issues)
Dear Mr. Alpert:

Thank you for your E-mail regarding escort service inside the Port Authority Bus Terminal.

When you arrive at the Port Authority Bus Terminal, there are phones located throughout the terminal that you can use to call for wheel chair assistance
by dialing extension 2245.  Also, you may call from your personal phone 212-502-2245 and someone will come to assist you from one bus to the other.

We apologize for the inconvenience that this has caused.  Thank you for writing.
Sincerely,

Charlene Allen
Customer Service Representative
Customer Relations
Tunnels, Bridges & Terminals Department 
 ***********************************
To Ms. Charlene Allen
Customer Service Representative
Customer Relations, Tunnels, Bridges & Terminals Department  

I am responding to your email you had sent me on 4-29-2010 in response to  my request of receiving assist  in the Port Authority. I am incredibly disappointed
in the ignorance and lack of assist you and your governmental agency has shown to a person with a disability.  

I am a blind man who is asking for reasonable  accommodations. I am looking for  assist to go from one bus to another because I am not familiar with the
layout of the Port Authority  which even people without  a visual disability get lost in the Port Authority bus terminal.  

You have given me two options on how to solve my issue. You had first suggested I call a number when I arrive and someone will assist me. I have visited
New York in the past  independently and have had people met me at the Port Authority bus terminal. I know from experience, cell phones do not work  when 
I have tried to use it to call people I was meeting. Unless there was some major changes, I am not sure my cell phone would work in the building this time
either.  

The second  option you had given me was to call on an in-house phone. I would love to know how you expect a person without vision to find a phone that is
on a wall.  

There are millions of people who travel  through  the Port Authority every year. I am sure that  I am not the first blind person to go through it looking
for a little assist to transfer from one bus company to another bus company. 

I am visiting family in New Jersey   and although the Port Authority has given me and my family great stress, worrying how I am going to get there, I hope
to make it a fun time. 

Jonathan Alpert